Thursday, September 29, 2011

This is a full breakdown, by project, of the total raised through Section 481 in 2010. It is information that is not routinely made available in the public domain. I do not know why it is not published each year along with details all other public funding for the sector, on a project by project basis.

I intend to add further detail to the table in due course - tax revenue foregone, net benefit to each production, additional public sources of funding, duration of Irish shoot, and those instances where spend was mostly on post-production.

Bravo. At last some one has the gall to make things transparent. " In times of deceit the truth is a revolutionary act". How many of these films fill the IFB's criteria? e.i. Game of Thrones: not made in this state, little or no crew from this side of the border, no cultural merits for this country. So does it warrant getting over €4 million from a country that could spent the money elsewhere? That is a serious amount of money that could be spent on an up and coming Irish director with a good story to tell. If we are going to hand out public money we need a quid pro quo. Why are these decisions made behind closed doors by a group of mandarins that serve the interests of themselves.Filipa, Magma, matteson ormsby prentice, IFB. I hope you are in the process of joining the dots. Once again, Bravo!

As I have worked on some of these projects - I can tell you that you seem to be qouting the ACTUAL Irish spend on which S481 was raised - not the sum of money that was raised (ie the sum raised is 28% of a maximum of 80% of the figures qouted)

Anonymous 4...The amounts quoted here are the totals raised from 'investors' for each project. Irish qualifying spend should be at least as much as the net benefit to the producer.The net benefit should be about 28% of each of these amounts.The actual cost to the exchequer will be about 41% of the total raised - ie the tax foregone on each €50,000 'investment'.

Anonymous 1...I have merely reproduced information here from different public sources. If the public sources are wrong - and there isn't necessarily a contradiction between what I have published and what you say - it will serve to illustrate the lack of transparency that exists. There is no reason why this information is not made fully available on a project by project basis each year in the AVF-IBEC Report. Then we could clearly see how public money is being spent in the sector.

As regards Magma Films (MESH Ltd) and Magma Productions Ltd and Finder Films Ltd (probably just a SPV company) etc there is certainly some confusion which Magma Films' creditors would like cleared up.

I think your blog is pretty groudbreaking well done. It is time for IFTN, Film Ireland and Screen International to interview you on some of these issues which they have shyed away from for far too long. There should be debate on these matters at the next film festival. Its not before long before a paper or magazine picks it up and publishes the debacle we are in and no IBEC report can make it all better. It is time for change and then we can have an industry.